Tuesday, November 30, 2010

As I prepared my file to meet with the team at Affordable Signs this afternoon, I had not realized that my original meeting and quote from them dated back to June 28th! In many ways, it just hadn't seemed that long ago!

I took a copy of the quote with me, as well as the Historic District Signage requirements and pictures of the logo. I was able to meet with Carrie, the same young lady who had taken care of me in June. We talked not only about the exterior signage but also about a banner that I can hang inside the windows to announce that Zoe will be opening next year. (I'll have to check the City regulations on that also).

I have several "to do" items following out meeting - confirm the window dimensions (for the interior "Coming soon" sign), provide a graphic of the logo (easy to do - Cori has already provided me with all that I need), the amount of frontage on the store (this will dictate some aspects of the size of the signage) and the space available for on-building lettering (and the size of the letters currently there). After speaking with my architect, we can confirm these numbers on Thursday when we meet.

On my way home from Affordable Signs, my route took me past the first space on N. Henry Street that I had offered a Letter of Intent. If you remember from that August timeframe, I lost out on the space because a day care center in lease negotiations for the space needed my space in order to have the required amounts of space for food prep and admin per the requirements of the Commonwealth. I was really surprised to see both spaces still for Lease - either those lease negotiations are going on longer than mine did or the deal has fallen through. Although I liked the space, I think I am happier with Zoe's new home!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Oh, how exciting it is to type those words in the title! On Thursday of this week, I will be meeting with my buildout manager and architect at Zoe's home to finalize our plans for the space. They have some ideas also on some of the things outlined in the vanilla shell portion of the landlord's work that will be advantageous from a space standpoint.

I have also been in touch with Web Designer Mark to give him the thumbs up on the Home Page design. He will be continuing with the interior page designs as well as providing my introduction to the Web Developer. I can't wait for Zoe to start living in her on-line home as well!

Tomorrow, I'm planning to visit Affordable Signs in Del Ray to review the quote they provided me over the summer, talk about Old Town's signage requirements and move forward with the sign order. I am not sure how long it takes to produce the sign and want to make sure we get that process moving as well.

Many thanks to all of you who have been so excited about Zoe's new home - it was a long wait but, I believe, well worth it!

Friday, November 26, 2010

We are not superstitious people. But Jim had decided that he did not want to see where Zoe would be located until the lease was signed. He had gotten his hopes up as high as I did when I had lost out on the other spaces and I think he felt if he didn't see it, he wouldn't be as disappointed.

This morning, I wanted to go to Old Town to see what kind of traffic was resulting from their Black Friday promotions. The City of Alexandria had made parking free at all city garages (we took advantage of this!) and the members of the Old Town Boutique District had a number of creative sales in progress. I ask Jim to come with me so that he could finally see Zoe's home.

I was thrilled to see that the listing agents had put big "Leased" signs on their For Rent signs! It really made it feel official!

Jim loved the location and the space! He hasn't stopped talking about it today!

I saw several people with shopping bags from various stores and my "across the street" neighbor, The Christmas Attic", seemed busy. I'm hoping to see more traffic tomorrow for Small Business Saturday, sponsored by American Express. If you are an American Express Card Holder, you're eligible to earn a $25 statement credit on any purchase of at least $25 on Small Business Saturday at any locally owned independent small businesses that accept American Express. You can redeem this offer by registering your American Express Cards atSmallBusinessSaturday.com/Enroll

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

This morning, I started early. It was time to attack the to-do list that had been WAITING for Zoe's lease to be signed. First, I contacted my buildout manager and my architect to share a copy of the lease as well as the drawing for some work that the landlord will be performing as part of the buildout. I also followed up with my landlord to provide him with the additional contact information he requested on Tuesday.

Then, I went to Virginia's Business OneStop website to print out a copy of the Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name form. This form is required because I am doing business as Zoe Boutique but my LLC is under a different name. The form is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for the City of Alexandria and then the certified copy is sent to the State Corporation Commission in Richmond.

By shortly after 9, I was heading through the metal detector at the Courthouse and off to the Clerk's office. With the Thanksgiving holiday almost upon us, there were not many people requiring services and I was seen immediately. The young woman was very helpful and I had my certified form and was on the way to Alexandria City Hall!

The City of Alexandria has a Permit Center in City Hall where much of the rest of the registration process takes place. I filled out a Zoning Approval form along with a Business License Application and a Federal W-9 form. Before I go any further, I want to note that everyone I dealt with was pleasant and helpful. It made what I thought was going to be a stressful process very easy!

During the discussion with the Urban Planner on the Zoning Approval, she told me that the address of One Prince Street - Retail was not acceptable from a 911/Fire/Safety standpoint. Since my space is at the corner of Prince and Union, she has now assigned Zoe a new home address of 130 South Union Street! This information will be updated in their citywide database system tonight and notification will be sent to the various agencies and people who need to know. So, a little surprise but certainly not a problem. The Zoning Approval process is complete.

Zoe has also been assigned a Business License number and should receive the papers for it within the next two weeks. The Permit Center then sent me to the Signage Office (two floors down in City Hall) where the Urban Planner reviewed documentation on the Criteria & Standards for Administrative Approval of Signs within the Historic Districts. She had some great GIS software that showed multiple views of the site and we discussed the options and the requirements. She believes that Zoe's signage will only require administrative approval rather than have to go through a public hearing process. Once again, she was another kind and professional person!

When I finished up at City Hall, I walked the few blocks to Zoe's Home! Knowing that there had been some discussion about the alarm system for the space as well as knowing that the GC for the landlord was in the process of building out the office space, I went into the office building and introduced myself to the Superintendent for the GC. He confirmed that it was "safe" to go into my space and no alarms would be triggered. So, for the first time, I turned the keys in the locks and opened the door to Zoe's Home. What a wonderful feeling!

I was delighted to find that the work that I had requested the landlord perform on the space had already begun - the carpet had been pulled up, a non-load bearing wall had been taken down, and the dehumidifier required by the previous museum occupant had been removed and was waiting to be transported out the door. After walking around a bit inside, I locked the doors and headed home.

After arriving home, I immediately contacted my landlord to let him know about the space address change (he will be notified by the City but I wanted him to know in advance) as well as thank him for the work already started in the space. I also updated my buildout manager and architect with the new information as well as contacted my accountant to let him know the lease had been signed.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

After what seems like a VERY long time, I am very happy to announce that Zoe has a home! This afternoon, I signed the lease for space at One Prince Street, Alexandria, Virginia! For those familiar with Alexandria, it is at the corner of Prince and Union Streets in the Old Town section. It is located across from the Christmas Attic and the Union Street Public House and a couple blocks from the Torpedo Factory.

We met in the landlord's current office (they are moving into the office building behind my retail space) and I had my first opportunity to meet the CEO and CFO. They were very gracious and welcoming and seemed genuine in their enthusiasm to have me as their tenant. They now have my security deposit and I now have a key to the space!

As part of the lease, there are certain things that the landlord needs to do to the space to prepare it for me to do Zoe's buildout. They will begin this process ASAP. My architect will begin his design of the space for my buildout with hopes to be done in the February/March 2011 timeframe.

There are so many things that I can do now that I have confirmation of Zoe's home. I can't wait to get started on Wednesday morning! This good news today just adds to my Thanksgiving blessings!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Web Designer Mark always sends me design-related items a few minutes prior to our phone conferences so that I can have an opportunity to develop some quick first impressions before he formally presents the design to me.

Knowing we had a call at 8:30 this evening, I had logged into my "work" email early and I was waiting for the email. It arrived about ten minutes before our call - right on schedule. I was DELIGHTED when I saw his design for the home page and decided to get Jim's reaction. (He was sitting across from me, also on his laptop). When I spun my laptop around and said "Hey, look at this!" he audibly gasped!! He thought Zoe's home page looked beautiful. So did I.

Mark and I had a twenty minute conversation where he reviewed what he had done with me and gave me time to make comments and ask questions. As usual, I'll review for a day or so and provide him with my feedback via email. I love that he has not only captured everything I've said to him about my vision for the store/site but also that he has been faithful to incorporating the branding, logo, and Zoe Girl throughout. I also like that he doesn't want to make Zoe Girl a pre-packaged clone of every other website out there. He understand my desire for clear, clean, yet unique.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

I have recently been very busy finalizing plans for and then celebrating Jim's parent's 50th wedding anniversary! It was a wonderful thing to not be working full time so that I could really focus on doing everything to make the event wonderful!

But fun continued with Zoe as well! I received 3 other hat boxes that I had purchased for decor and have enjoyed looking at them and considering their possibilities. I have one left to receive from California.

On Friday evening, just as I had returned home from decorating the venue for the party, I got a call from my broker to let me know that the landlord is ready to sign the lease and I should receive a signed lease from them on Monday. We have one area that they have not yet received clarification on that will likely require us to do an amendment to the lease. I am willing to sign so that they can get started on their portion of the buildout. I hope to be reporting great news this week!

It has been a great deal of fun to see the different marketing strategies for small local businesses as the Christmas holiday season approaches. Although I am NOT a Black Friday shopper (I do most of my shopping pre-Thanksgiving or online), I may go to some of my sister boutiques in Alexandria on Friday to see the level of crowds and activities.

Tomorrow evening, web designer Mark and I will be reviewing his design of my home page. I am so excited to see what he has done with my comments following the mood board review/selection.

As you can imagine, I got LOTS of questions about Zoe during the party. I know that people wonder why it has taken me 6 months to get this far! Except for what I've felt were longer than I'd like delays with the leasing process, I've felt the timing has been just right. I hope I still feel this way when I open in Spring 2011!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Yesterday, I had decided to ratchet up the pressure on getting the leasing process moving again. Although I'm trying so very hard to be patient, I've reached the limit (and oh, have I been having to try so hard to be patient - surely that counts for something!)

Before I left for my exercise class this morning, my broker had sent me an email to say that he expected an update this afternoon. That was fine - I had decided I'd take my class, come home for a shower, eat lunch and then embark on my mission. When I checked my email after the shower, there was a revised copy of the lease! (What I hope is the FINAL copy of the lease).

I reviewed it this afternoon and sent a copy to my attorney for his review. I am happy with the content and noticed only a couple minor typographical errors. I would be VERY HAPPY if we could get it signed this week.

In the meantime, I also stumbled across a new website (from Google) at www.boutiques.com. If you choose to set up an ID/boutique, the site runs you through a series of questions - likes and dislikes for styles, colors, and silhouettes of clothing types. It also asks about designers that you like and don't like. Based on all of this information, it categorizes you in a distinct "style" and then presents clothing, shoes, and bags for your review.

Now, the point of the site is to try to get you to buy the items in places in your boutique. You have the opportunity to like and dislike the items so that the site can continue to determine items that match your personal style. I find it fun to see what they come up with, how much of it I like, and then consider my wardrobe and how it matches up (or can be enhanced). They do include two of Zoe's designers - Tracey Reese and Rebecca Taylor. If you do try it, let me know what style category you are in - I was Classic (not a big surprise).

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Today, the postman rang my doorbell and delivered the first of my hat boxes to me! This is The Hecht Co. hat box and also included 4 vintage hats that I will also use for decorating.

This morning, I visited a friend of mine in Dunn Loring. She lives in a house built in the 1800s along the WO&D Trail. It was once a store along the railroad that ran where the trail does now. She is an expert with paints and has been slowly and carefully restoring her home. I knew she would have good advice on paint colors and types. She introduced me to an English paint company called Farrow & Ball. While I may not be able to afford their paints, looking at their website gave me all sort of ideas for paint combinations! Once again, it is important that the decor compliment the clothing, not distract from it.

She knows that I write the blog about Zoe but prefers to get her updates "in person". She knows that I consider Zoe my "child". As I was sharing all of the accomplishments (and frustrations) with her, she laughed and said "You sound like a pregnant woman who is ready to give birth! You are done being pregnant!" Then she went on to talk about how I would have behaved had I ever actually been pregnant - probably trying to boss the Ob/Gyn around and nitpicking every detail. She really had me laughing - I fear she knows me too well!

I got a very nice gift on Saturday evening from neighbor Charlie (a CIO at a credit union in Alexandria). He gave me some computer networking equipment for the store. I offered to pay him but he said he wanted to support what I was doing and he would be really happy if I could use it! I feel so fortunate that all of my neighbors have been so excited and supportive of my new adventure!

Monday, November 15, 2010

I've had a lot to think about since my shopping extravaganza for Zoe on Friday. One of the things that appealed to me in looking at all of the decorating ideas was the use of hat boxes for decor. I have some vintage purses I plan to use as well as a couple pairs of long gloves. I'm also looking for some unique shoes but found myself very drawn to the concept of hat boxes.

You may remember a much earlier post about my department store shopping experiences. What if I could find hat boxes from regional department stores that are now defunct to decorate the store? First, I wanted to focus on the DC Region - I found a Woodward and Lothrop and Hecht Company hatboxes on Etsy. What else did I want? I knew I wanted Marshall Fields (Chicago) and found it on eBay. And then I went back to Etsy and found Bonwit Teller. But then I started to struggle - what were some of the places we had visited over the years? Fortunately, there was a Wikipedia article on that very topic.

I've made a list of others to focus on, including Richmond institutions Thalhimers and Miller & Rhoads as well as DC's Garfinckels, San Francisco's I. Magnin, Cincinnati's Pogue Company and Atlanta's Rich's. I'm very excited for the ones I've purchased to start arriving!

No new news on the lease today - an email from my broker saying he is still pressing them for the new draft of the lease with the final buildout and square footage information in it. I paid my attorney today for his work in October and did some more updating/configuration in the accounting software. I'm so excited to move forward I can hardly stand it!

Friday, November 12, 2010

This morning, my friend Janice and I headed out to Leesburg, VA to visit Old Lucketts Store and other antique offerings in the area. The purpose was to find items that I might use in decorating Zoe's interior space. Janice is the antiquing expert and was the perfect person to guide me on this journey!

We arrived at Old Lucketts Store shortly after they opened at 10 am. We started first by exploring the outside "sheds" and then moved into the main house. When we first walked in, we were looking at the beautiful displays everywhere when Janice pointed out how they had used an old mirror frame to help create a centerpiece. When I looked closer at the centerpiece design, I realized that the bowl making up part of it was exactly what I had in mind for one of the pieces at the store! We immediately disassembled the centerpiece and took the bowl to the counter for safe-keeping!

We encountered room after room and floor after floor (there are 3 floors in the main house) of beautiful displays and items. Even if the items weren't what I was looking for, I got so many great ideas! I also found a small shoe ornament and a vintage purse that I also purchased there.

We walked across the highway to another antique store that has a significant amount of iron items. When I went into the store itself, I was immediately taken with two gorgeous metalwork mannequin forms. While they are not a full size that I would use to show clothing, they will be a beautiful way to show accessories. Each one has delicate metal flowers worked into the design. After some creative seat moving and maneuvering, we were able to get both mannequin forms in the back seat of my car.

All this shopping made up hungry so we made the quick drive to downtown Leesburg to replenish our strength at a delicious restaurant called Lightfoot. Lightfoot Restaurant occupies space that used to be a bank and they have left much of the old marble, wood, and architecture intact.

Our strength renewed, we moved the car from their parking lot to a nearby parking garage and restarted our shopping. We looked in a number of antique stores (like the trip to market, it begins to become almost overwhelming at times!) I saw a beautiful armoire at one store that I really, really liked. I need to sleep on it to consider if it would be a good fit in the store. (Believe me, it was not going to fit in my car!) At the price and in its condition, I fear it won't last long there!

Tired but happy that we'd had a successful day, we trekked back to Alexandria. Now my mind is exploding with ideas...if I only had a space to put them in! Of course, I have to provide the latest lease update. The Landlord is still working on the handicap access requirements so I have no new lease yet. Part of the hold-up on giving me a new lease to review is that, depending on the outcome of their inquiry with the municipality, my square footage may change slightly. They want to reflect the proper square footage in the lease.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

No, seriously! Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote about looking at my email first thing in the morning and having something fun to review from Web Designer Mark? This morning's delightful email surprise was courtesy of the very talented Graphic Designer Cori! She has been working on collateral for Zoe and had Business Card and Contact Card designs for me to review!

As usual, Cori had captured the personality and direction of the store perfectly. I spent a couple hours this afternoon reviewing the designs and determining my favorites. Each detail is important to the branding of the store and I want it all to communicate the same message of style and joy.

On the not quite so creative front, I also called the Virginia Department of Taxation this afternoon to change my business start dates for Income and Sales Tax Withholding. This will prevent them from sending me the forms and me from having to fill them out until I truly need to do so.

Day Two of being annoying regarding the lease seems to be working. This morning's report from my broker had no new news but this afternoon's report confirmed that the landlord has decided to do the vanilla shell work on my space themselves (as opposed to having my construction team do it) and are discussing the handicap access requirements for the space with the proper local authorities. Once they have confirmed their responsibilities and it is adjusted in the lease, I should have a document for review. We'll see what tomorrow's being annoying strategy brings!

I also made a quick trip this morning to IKEA in Woodbridge, VA. They actually have an IKEA Business Group that can provide assistance on furnishment for office and retail spaces. I love to walk around and look there anyway! And on Friday, friend Janice and I are going to Leesburg to look at some stores there for ideas and possibilities. The creative side of the business has definitely kept me upbeat and focused this week!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Yesterday, I described the two mood boards that Web Designer Mark had reviewed with me. Today, I spent a great deal of time reviewing them so that I could provide him with the appropriate design direction.

Which one do you think I picked?

Drum roll please....

Mood Board #2! And why is that, you may ask?

It fits more with the fun, joyful image that I'm expressing through starting the business

It is a good fit if I do go into children's apparel in the future (a sister website following these same conventions would provide for a standard theme)

Zoe Girl was used as an inspiration, which is very important to me to keep her central to branding of the store

It is a contrast to the stark, serious fashion sites and will blend well with my "sister sites" in Old Town Alexandria

I then provided Mark with the specific things that I loved and the things I'd like to change/see rendered differently. Based on my feedback, he plans to have a Home Page designed for me by the end of the week and have enough ready to hand off to the web developer by Thanksgiving!

In other news, I called my broker today to talk about the lease. And I will now call him every day until things are resolved/we get a lease signed. I hate to have to unleash annoying Susan but it's time to pull her out of my arsenal. Let's just hope we don't get to mad Susan. No one likes to see that.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Those were the words that I said when I opened the email from web designer Mark this afternoon just before our scheduled call to review the two mood board samples. Like Cori and Lisa, Mark has done an excellent job of capturing all that makes Zoe so special.

Mood Board Number One (that we are dubbing the Fashion Industry look) is very sleek and uses a bold color palette. The primary fonts are Serif and Sans Serif with a gorgeous font called Jane Austen that would be used for one of the features. If I had to compare Mood Board Number One to an existing website, I'd say it has a bit of Ann Taylor and Nordstrom combined.

Mood Board Number Two (that we are dubbing the Boutique look) is very fresh, light, and fun. Mark used Zoe Girl as the inspiration for the color scheme on Mood Board Two and picked out some elements of her style to compliment the look. The fonts are easy to read and a bit playful (one is called Coquette)! If I had to compare Mood Board Number Two to an existing website, I'd say it has a bit of Design Sponge look to it.

Mark is able to use some of the unique fonts via a subscription based service called TypeKit. Rather than attempt to use my own words to describe it, I'll let you read more about it here. One of the things that I really like about it is that it makes the unique fonts not graphic but instead text.

The next step is for me to decide which direction I want to go and identify those aspects that I like and don't like for that mood board. If I do that, he may be able to have a design of the Home Page ready for me to review by the end of the week! He has also recommended a developer for me - Phil, who lives in Vancouver.

Today's conversation was wonderful and truly lifted my spirits after the frustrating few weeks I've had with the lease.

Friday, November 5, 2010

One thing that I had never had much time to do was consider decorating. The decorating done in my home was done in conjunction with a professional interior designer and was done over a significant period of time (as we had money to do different things). Although I could say to her "I like this and not that" I never really did any of the initial selections myself.

This has all changed as I contemplate the design for Zoe. While I want the main attraction to be the clothes and other items that I'm selling, I want to have a warm, inviting, pleasant atmosphere that makes people comfortable when they visit. I've been spending time recently (between accounting system set-up and leasing headaches) looking at potential designs and ideas for the store.

A couple new finds that I hope to visit next week are Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg, VA and Oliver Dunn, Moss & Co., and Catherine Roberts in Georgetown, DC. Friend Janice has been to Old Lucketts and another antique store (Ekster Antiques) and has offered to go with me next week on my hunt for new treasure for the store. I have a very specific mental visual of what I want and just need to find the right thing to satisfy that picture!

Next week will also be a serious push to finalize the lease. Watch out - I've got my hard hat on and I'm climbing into the bulldozer!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Not a question I ever thought I would be asking myself, that's for sure! The New York Times had an article yesterday stating "A severe shortage has pushed cotton prices almost 80% higher since July, a shift that has manufacturers and merchants predicting 2011 price increases." As a result of the higher prices, some retailers are raising prices on garments containing cotton while some apparel manufacturers are looking for substitute materials.

Each day, I receive an email "digest" of retail, small business and entrepreneur news articles to help me learn and keep me abreast of all that is going on in my "new to me" industry.

I also love learning about new outlets for fashion news and information. Today, I found a very fun blog called Corporette. It brands itself as "A Fashion and Lifestyle Blog for Overachieving Chicks". Very good, practical and fun fashion advice for women who don't want to just wear the "Corporate Uniform" to work every day!

Sadly, I cannot report that I am any further along in the leasing process. I had been scheduled to receive the costs from the general contractor for the vanilla shell space today but have not received anything yet. There is always tomorrow...

But, happy news is that Web Designer Mark has told me that he has completed one mood board and should have the second one done on Thursday. We are going to schedule time to talk this weekend to review them. I cannot wait to see what he has done!

After chart of accounts set up was complete, I started setting up my vendors in the software's address book. Hopefully, I haven't broken any naming conventions yet. And I love how it reminds me to get the Tax ID for 1099s - every time I go into the vendor record! (Are you proud of me, Janie?)

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

This is the first time I've voted as a small business owner. I always have key issues that are important to me when selecting a candidate but I also spent time studying not only those running for Congress in my district but also in other races throughout the country as well. It is a perspective I've never applied previously and I've enjoyed learning about the issues and potential initiatives that affect small businesses. Regardless of how you vote, I hope you voted today!

I am eagerly awaiting the delivery of the vanilla shell buildout numbers from the general contractor. Those numbers, coupled with the numbers I've already received from my architect, will allow me to discuss the lease changes with my attorney and hopefully move the leasing process forward. I am a very motivated tenant!

This afternoon, I got a momentarily scary call from one of my wholesalers, asking if I was going to place an order with one of their lines for February delivery. I knew I had placed one in Atlanta two weeks ago! Just as I was reaching for the paper from my file, she found it! Huge relief! Now, if they'd incorporate a little technology into the process...

I also started working on the chart of accounts for my QuickBooks software this afternoon. I discussed the general strategy with my accountant and he has asked to see what I come up with. And yes, I can hear those of you in the peanut gallery laughing. The good thing - much of my previous career has prepared me to address things like this, even if they aren't the things I look forward to doing!

I'm still haunting some thrift shops to see if I can find the right items for the store decor. No luck so far this week but I'm confident I'll stumble onto something soon!